TABLE OF CONTENTS
Student Success Center - Room 5300
MSC 3528
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Phone: 540-568-6281
Fax: 540-568-5615
GENERAL INFORMATION
Dates and Deadlines
For a current listing of important enrollment dates and deadlines, please refer to the Office of the Registrar web site at www.jmu.edu/registrar/. Please refer to the JMU calendar for a listing of other university events and holidays. These dates and deadlines are subject to change at the university's discretion.
Final Examinations
Final Exam Schedule
Please refer to the Office of the Registrar web site at www.jmu.edu/registrar/ and click “Current Students" then "Exam Schedule".
Final exams missed due to inclement weather or emergency
In response to inclement weather and other emergencies, the university may be forced to cancel final exams. When the university closes due to weather or other types of emergencies, faculty will administer regularly scheduled final examinations at an official make-up time designated by the university unless otherwise announced in the course syllabus. The official make-up time will be designated as part of the closing announcement. Unless otherwise notified, make-up examination locations will be the same as locations for regularly scheduled exams.
If it is determined that exams cannot be given because of inclement weather or other emergency, faculty will assign final grades to students based on the exams, tests and projects completed prior to the regularly scheduled exam dates.
Makeup days for classes missed due to inclement weather or emergency
When it is necessary to cancel classes due to weather or other emergencies, faculty have several options for making up the missed instructional time. (1) Hold class at the regularly scheduled time on the official university make up day, normally the Saturday immediately following the missed class. (2) Hold class at a time acceptable to all class members other than the regularly scheduled time or the official make-up day. Time and location will be arranged by the academic unit. (3) Accommodate the missed instructional time within remaining class meeting time. (4) Hold class through electronic means.
Annual Notice to Students
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
James Madison University adheres to and annually informs students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. This act, with which the institution intends to fully comply, was designated to protect the privacy of educational records. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) students have certain rights with respect to their education records.
These rights include:
(1) The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access. Students should submit to the registrar, dean, academic unit head, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The University official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the University official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
(2) The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the University to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
(3) The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the university has contracted or outsourced institutional services or functions (such as an attorney, auditor, food service or bookstore provider, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Visitors; a volunteer performing services for the institution; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his/ her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the University may disclose education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. The following is considered "Directory Information" at James Madison University and may be made available to the general public unless the student notifies the Office of the Registrar in person or in writing within five days after the first day of class registration:
Student's name, major and minor fields of study, college of major and year (freshman, sophomore, etc.), enrollment status (full-time/part-time) including credit hours, dates of attendance, degree sought and time, degrees conferred, awards and honors conferred, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student, fraternity and/or sorority and educational societies.
(4) The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by James Madison University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605.
For more detailed information concerning JMU's records policy see James Madison University, Policies and Procedures, Policy 2112, The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, at https://www.jmu.edu/jmu-policy/policies/2112.shtml.
"Your Right to Know"
Your personal safety and the security of the campus community are of vital concern to James Madison University. A copy of the university's annual security report is available upon request. This report includes statistics for the most recent 3-year period concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus, in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by James Madison University, and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes information regarding the law enforcement authority of the university policies concerning campus security, such as crime prevention, alcohol and drug use, sexual assault, reporting of any crimes which may occur on the campus. You can obtain a copy of this report by contacting the Office of Public Safety, Crime Prevention Unit, MSC #6302, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807. This information is also available at: https://www.jmu.edu/publicsafety/
Holds
Outstanding obligations or debts to university offices may result in a "hold" or reduction in services available to you, such as enrollment, course adjustments, or issuance of diplomas and academic transcripts. Holds on your record and instructions for clearing them are viewable on MyMadison. The fact that a student did not receive notification of a hold is an insufficient reason to cause the release of the hold.
Honor System
Students are expected to act in accordance with the Honor System and university policies in all matters relating to course registration and computer use. The following are examples of activities which can be construed as violating policy and which may be referred to either the Honor Council or the Office of Student Accountability and Restorative Practices: (1) falsifying academic information or signatures; (2) tampering with another student's registration or class schedule; (3) unauthorized use of another individual's social security number, personal identification number or user I.D.; (4) depriving or attempting to deprive others of access to the registration system by excessive use of the web student self-service feature; (5) attempting to break system security or degrade system performance. System monitoring devices will be in place.
Student Identification Number
Once enrolled at the university, the student identification number assigned to each student will serve as the primary identifier for the student record and for transacting business and receiving services. With rare exceptions (e.g. financial aid, employment, Veterans Affairs benefits, requests for archived transcripts and records), a student's Social Security Number should not be requested by a campus office. At JMU and elsewhere, if students are asked to supply their SSN or other personal data, they should make sure they understand why the information is required and, for university functions, students should substitute their student ID number instead of SSN whenever possible. Students should use caution and help keep their personal information protected.
COURSE REGISTRATION
Registration Procedures and Policies
Steps to enroll in classes at JMU:
It is the sole responsibility of the student to enroll in, or authorize enrollment in, all classes. Departments, advisors, and faculty do not have the system access to enroll students in classes. Our office assists students with questions and procedures for initial registration and course adjustment via My Madison (mymadison.jmu.edu) and walk-in service. Our office is located in the Student Success Center, Suite 5300.
Steps to enroll in classes at JMU:
Step 1: Look up the enrollment dates and your enrollment appointment time.
All currently enrolled undergraduate students will have enrollment appointments during advance registration for each term. Advance registration is the period in which students initially enroll in classes according to assigned appointment times. Advance registration dates are as follows:
Spring Semester November
Summer Session March
Fall Semester April
The Important Dates are available to view at www.jmu.edu/registrar/. You can see your specific enrollment appointment via MyMadison approximately one to two weeks before registration begins. The system will be available at various times after advance registration for course adjustment. Graduate students can enroll at any time once the system is available for each term. Non-degree seeking students can enroll approximately one week prior to the beginning of the semester. Please refer to www.jmu.edu/registrar/ to view Important Dates for specific dates and times of enrollment.
Step 2: Review the course listings and plan a class schedule.
Course listings are available on MyMadison at mymadison.jmu.edu. The search engine allows you to search for classes using the following criteria: general education cluster, subject, catalog number, open sections only, description, component, course career, class meeting days, instructor and session.
Some important things to keep in mind while planning your class schedule:
Check the status of the classes you want to add to your schedule. The class status indicates whether a class is active (or open), closed, or cancelled. A department may also have stopped or suspended enrollment on a temporary basis.
TBA is used when a course meeting time, day or location has not been determined by the publication date of the schedule of classes. It is the student's responsibility to contact the department for times, locations and meeting days of courses listed as TBA.
Class offerings and teacher assignments are subject to revision and/or cancellation without notice. Consequently, the listing of a particular class, teacher and related information is not an assurance that the class will be offered as listed.
Certain summer courses will have the designation of "contingency." These course offerings will be dependent upon minimum enrollment. While these courses usually have sufficient enrollment, if this minimum enrollment is not reached, the university reserves the right to cancel the class. Courses not so designated are guaranteed. The determination as to whether a course will be offered will be made after the first class meeting.
Step 3: Meet with your academic advisor.
All undergraduate and graduate students may enroll and adjust their schedules without adviser approval, but it is essential that students discuss their scheduling plans with their faculty advisers. The role of the faculty adviser is to assist and advise students in the attainment of their educational goals. Advisers do not control their advisees' programs. The responsibility for fulfilling all major and degree requirements for graduation lies with the students.
Step 4: Clear all holds on your record.
Clear all debts or other obligations that may hold your enrollment. You can view your holds and instructions on how to clear them on MyMadison.
Step 5: Initial Registration
You can enroll from any computer that has access to the internet by visiting mymadison.jmu.edu. From the login page, you can test the compatibility of your browser with MyMadison, view tutorials, read alerts or special instructions that have been posted and link to the Office of the Registrar. If you need assistance with MyMadison at any time, please use the on-line help, tutorials or contact the Office of the Registrar at 568-6281. You may also seek assistance at our office, Student Success Center, Suite 5300.
Please read the Permission to Enroll (Override) and Prerequisite and Eligibility Requirements sections under the Important Enrollment Terms and Policies section before you begin enrollment.
Step 6: Course Adjustments
A course adjustment is any change to a finalized schedule including changes in credit options or grading options.
Dropping and adding courses prior to the add/drop deadlines:
Students may drop and add courses until the drop/add deadlines for each session. Dropped courses will still appear on the schedule with an enrollment status and reason of "Dropped" but they will not appear on the academic transcript. Depending on the student's course load, dropping or adding a course may result in a tuition and/or financial aid adjustment.
Adding courses after the add deadline:
Adding a class after the add deadline requires the consent of the instructor and academic unit head of the course. If consent is granted, an override will be entered by the department into the student system or the student will be given a permission number to enter in MyMadison. Classes may be added with this consent through the last day to add a class with permission deadline.
In addition to the above permission, overrides are required to add classes that are full or to allow enrollment into a course for which a requisite has not been met. Please see Permission to Enroll (Override) and Prerequisite and Eligibility Requirements under the Important Enrollment Terms and Policies section.
Withdrawing from a class after the add/drop deadline:
A student may withdraw from a course after the drop deadline but before the end of the course adjustment period. A student who withdraws from a course after the drop deadline will receive a grade of "W" for the course, and this grade will be recorded permanently on the student's transcript regardless of the status of the student in the course at the time of the withdrawal. In extraordinary situations, a student who becomes unable to complete some course requirements after the course adjustment deadline has passed may request a grade of "WP" or "WF" from the instructor. The method (e.g., verbal, written) and timing of such requests are determined by individual instructors; the student is responsible for ensuring that the request is made in an appropriate manner and at an appropriate time. In response to such a request, the instructor may choose to record a grade of "WP" or "WF", but is not obligated to do so (and may record any grade other than "W"). The course instructor may also suggest that the student contact the Dean of Students Office about withdrawing from the university.
Withdrawing from a course will not result in a tuition reduction. Students are responsible for knowing their enrolled course schedules and for making any desired course adjustments prior to the published enrollment deadlines. Failure to attend class will not result in a "W", "WP", or "WF" grade unless the student has formally withdrawn or negotiated a "WP" or "WF" grade with the course instructor. After the end of the course adjustment period, a grade other than "W" must be issued for all enrolled courses.
Students considering withdrawing from a course should be aware that graduate and professional schools and future employers might hold differing opinions on a student's withdrawal from a course. For this reason, a student should withdraw from a course only after serious consideration.
Step 7: Confirming your schedule
You may view and print your schedule at any time via MyMadison. You are responsible for the accuracy of your schedule, so please review your class schedule after every enrollment transaction to insure that your schedule reflects the changes you intended to make.
Important Enrollment Terms and Policies
Class number
The class number is a unique five-digit number that identifies a particular course section. This number can be entered in MyMadison to enroll in a course.
Repeating Courses
A student may repeat any of the courses that he or she has taken during undergraduate enrollment at JMU except courses originally taken and passed on a credit/no credit basis. All grades will be included when calculating the student's grade point average. There are, however, certain exceptions to this rule.
Students may elect to repeat up to two courses during their enrollment at JMU on a "repeat forgiveness" basis. As a result of the "repeat forgiveness" option, the university will exclude the previous grade and credit hours earned for the repeated course when it calculates the student's cumulative GPA and earned credit hours total, regardless of whether the previous grade was higher or lower than the repeat attempt. Both grades will appear on the transcript. The student must either declare the "repeat forgiveness" option at registration or “edit” the course repeat option via MyMadison prior to the end of the course adjustment period. A student may not exercise the repeat/forgiveness option for courses in which that student was assigned a grade as a result of an Honor Code violation. Courses taught on a topic basis are repeatable; however, these courses may only be designated with a repeat credit or repeat/forgiveness credit option if both course attempts have the same topic (i.e. a second attempt of the course GHUM 200 “Western Classics” may only be assigned as a repeat credit or repeat/forgiveness credit if the original attempt of GHUM 200 was taken with the topic “Western Classics”).
All grades will appear on the student's transcript, but a course that has been repeated will only be counted once toward satisfying graduation requirements. Students selecting the "repeat forgiveness" option should be aware that professional schools, graduate programs, and future employers may apply their own criteria that may not recognize the "repeat forgiveness" option in evaluating credentials for prospective students or employees.
Courses taken at other universities do not qualify to be taken as repeat/forgiveness. Courses taken in a different JMU career (i.e. Continuing Education) and subsequently transferred to an undergraduate JMU career are not repeatable. Students may request approval to retake these courses utilizing the audit grading basis only.
Grading basis
Registration for credit (GRD) will result in a grade based on academic achievement in a course. Registration for audit credit (AUD) is possible only at the undergraduate level with the approval of the academic unit head offering the course and the faculty member teaching the course. Since approval is required, this option must be declared through emails from the appropriate individuals' email accounts. Students do not receive academic credit for audited courses; however, the same fees apply for all courses registered under this option as do apply to classes taken for credit. Registration for credit/no credit (CNC) is available with certain restrictions to eligible students except in the following courses: courses used to meet general education requirements, courses in the major or minor program; courses listed by name or number in the major or minor program but offered outside the major or minor department; courses being repeated that were previously taken for credit; and degree requirements. Students are responsible for consulting the general catalog to determine eligibility and further restrictions on the credit/no credit option.
Class Limit
When you search for courses on the web, you will be able to see the maximum enrollment and current enrollment in each course. Some courses may appear to be open but when you try to register for them you will get an enrollment error indicating that the course is full. In some instances, departments will create a waitlist for student enrollment when a course is full. Students who otherwise qualify (meet all requisites) for the course will have the option to place themselves on the waitlist at the time of enrollment. Departments have the ability to save seats in a course for a specific group of students. For example, they can save ten seats in the section for seniors only. Please check the course notes, as the department should indicate here if the section is for a specific group of students.
Course load and Overload
Fall and Spring Terms - The total number of credit hours for which a student enrolls in a semester, including adjustments made to the initial schedule, determine the course load. During advance registration all undergraduates will be limited to a course load of 17 semester hours. Full-time undergraduates carry a minimum of 12 semester hours and a normal load of 15-17 hours. During course adjustment, undergraduates may increase their course load to the maximum permissible number of hours as follows:
Any undergraduate in good standing may enroll for as many as 19 semester hours without special permission.
A student with a cumulative average of 3.25 or better after final grades post for the most current term may enroll for as many as 21 hours in the next subsequent term.
Permission to exceed these limits and register for an overload must be secured from the head of the student's major department.
Undergraduates on academic probation are limited to a maximum of 13 semester hours. Permission to exceed this 13 hour maximum must be secured from the dean of the student's major.
Summer Term - Undergraduates in good standing may enroll in as many as 19 credits in a combination of summer sessions but undergraduates on probation will be limited to no more than 13 credits. Graduate students may take a total of 12 credits over the summer, with no more than six credit hours in any one session, except for the 12-Week session where enrolled hours may not exceed nine. As a rule, undergraduates should take no more than six credit hours for each four-week term, nine credit hours for each six-week term, and twelve credit hours for each eight to ten-week term.
Students are reminded that summer course work is intensive because of the condensed instructional time-frame and are encouraged to plan their summer schedules with the demanding workload in mind. Students taking 600-level courses will not be approved for overloads. Students enrolled in Student Teaching, Field and Lab Experience (EDUC 480) will not be permitted to enroll in additional courses during the eight-week period of full-time student teaching. For any exception to this the student should consult the dean of the College of Education.
Permission to Enroll (Override)
Permission to enroll is special permission given to join a class that requires instructor or departmental approval to enroll or that has reached its maximum capacity. Permission is granted at the discretion of the academic unit head offering the course. Student specific permissions are entered into the student system by the departmental office. You must still enroll in the class. The entry the department performs only saves a seat in the class for you; it does not enroll you in the class. The department may also issue you a permission number which you will need to enter in the appropriate field when enrolling via MyMadison. Departments can specify deadlines on permissions, so please be sure to enroll before your permission expires.
Prerequisite and Eligibility Requirements
Students should consult the appropriate catalog to determine prerequisite or eligibility requirements for course selections. Without special permission, students cannot take for credit a course for which the prerequisite has not been met or for which they are not eligible. In addition, students cannot take for credit a course that is a prerequisite to a course they have already taken.
Many courses require other courses as prerequisites. Students should be aware that a course in which they receive a grade of D-, D or D+ probably does not adequately prepare them to take a course which requires the first as a prerequisite. Before continuing on to a succeeding course, students should discuss their level of preparation with the instructor of the second course and decide whether or not they need to retake the first course to improve their understanding as well as their grade.
Students are responsible for reading the course catalog and determining whether they have met prerequisite requirements prior to enrolling in a class. Failure to meet prerequisite requirements for a course is not grounds for dropping a class after the drop deadline.
Office of the Registrar
Our office is responsible for registration, transcripts, verifications and major/minor changes, grade collection and distribution, graduation certification, diploma issuance, transfer credit evaluation, and Veterans Education Programs. Our office is located in the Student Success Center, Suite 5300.
Addresses
The official, local, electronic and billing addresses can be maintained by the student via MyMadison. The campus P.O. box is maintained by JMU Postal Services for all students living in residence halls.
Official Address. The student's permanent home address. Official correspondence from the university will be sent to this address and directed to the student as appropriate. Campus Post Office box numbers are not acceptable as the official address. A change in this address can be made via MyMadison.
Local Address. Commuter students must report their local address and telephone number via MyMadison.
Electronic Address . The student's email address. JMU communicates regularly with its students via the JMU email address.
Billing Address. The student's JMU email address is used to notify students that their student account charges are ready to be viewed and paid through electronic bill presentment. Students can add other personal email addresses for notification. A student can grant access to their student account charges to their parent(s) or any other third party. Anyone with access to a student account will be notified by email or the student can print the bill to distribute as needed.
Campus P.O. Box. Assigned to all residence hall students. While classes are in session, this address is used for official notifications so students should check their P.O. boxes regularly.
Certification of Enrollment
Verification of Enrollment
If you are a current student, you may access your enrollment verification 24/7 through MyMadison. If you have a form (insurance, scholarship, degree verification, etc.) that requests enrollment, anticipated graduation date, or good student verification, you may print the enrollment verification through MyMadison and attach it to the form for submission.
If you are renewing your Military ID or have a form that requires information other than enrollment and anticipated graduation date verification, you can bring your request to the Office of the Registrar in the Student Success Center, Suite 5300. We will complete the request and send it to the requesting agency. Verifications will be processed within five business days of receipt of the request. If you have any questions, please call the Office of the Registrar at (540) 568-6281.
Other Educational Verifications
James Madison University has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to act as our agent for non-insurance related verifications of student enrollment. Please visit the Clearinghouse online at www.studentclearinghouse.org or contact them by phone at (703) 742-4200.
Declaring a major or minor
If you are a current student wishing to declare or change a major, minor, or pre-professional program, you must complete a request through MyMadison. Additional department specific information will be available once you select that academic plan. Please follow all directions and steps necessary to execute your request. Once all necessary steps are completed, the department will either approve, deny, or contact you for additional information regarding your request. If accepted into the new major or minor, the department will assign a new adviser for students who are beyond the freshman level.
For additional assistance making this request, please view the Change/Declare a Major/Minor tutorial in MyMadison or on the tutorials website, and choose Change/Declare a Major/Minor under the Students menu.
Forms of Credit
Students have several options to earn credit toward their JMU degree. Credit can be earned through courses taken at JMU, credit by examinations, transfer credit or test credit.
Credit by Examination
An enrolled undergraduate or graduate student may apply to take an examination for credit in selected courses by processing a credit by exam form available in the Office of the Registrar or department offices and paying a non-refundable fee to the University Business Office. Permission to take a departmental exam must be obtained from the academic unit head in which the credit is sought. Students registered for a course in which they are planning to take the department exam are still subject to add/drop and withdrawal deadlines. For further information consult the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs.
Graded Credit
Students can earn credit for courses at JMU by taking them for a grade or credit/no credit. Courses taken for a grade are averaged into the cumulative grade point average. Courses taken credit/no credit are not averaged into the cumulative grade point average. There are restrictions on the courses that can be taken for credit/no credit and as such students must complete a form and remit it to the office in the Student Success Center, Suite 5300. Upon determining that a student qualifies to take a course credit/no credit, Office of the Registrar staff will change the grading designation on the student's schedule. Please refer to the general catalog for the policy on taking courses for credit/no credit.
Military Credit
Six hours of health and kinesiology credit may be awarded to veterans who have one or more years of active military duty and have not previously taken or received transfer credit for those courses. Additional credit may be awarded for courses taken at the Defense Language Institute and for successfully completing certain service schools. Please refer to the undergraduate catalog for more detailed information.
Test Credit
Test credit can be received for International Baccalaureate courses, German Abitur, Cambridge International, and Advanced Placement programs. Please refer to the undergraduate catalog for more detailed information about required scores and JMU equivalents for each test. To receive credit for any of these tests, please request that a copy of your test results be sent electronically to the JMU Admissions Office, 100 E Grace St. - MSC 0101, Harrisonburg, VA 22807.
Transfer Credit
A student wishing to earn credits at another institution, either during the summer or during a regular session, must obtain permission from the registrar's office in advance of taking courses at another institution. Following consultation with, and appropriate approval from the academic unit heads (if necessary), the Registrar's Office will post approved credit on the student's JMU transcript. The required Permission to Take Courses for Transfer Credit form is available on the Registrar's website. With a few exceptions, students who have already enrolled in courses at JMU may utilize the Virginia Community College System guide to select courses for transfer back to JMU. Generally, if a course is listed on the website, only the Office of the Registrar needs to approve the permission form. Please see the Office of the Registrar for questions or guidance.
University Studies makes every effort to award as much credit as possible for entering students who have earned credit from other institutions. Once students have enrolled for classes at JMU, however, they are expected to complete the general education program here. The Dean of University Studies, the Associate Dean, or Cluster Coordinator must approve any exception to this policy. After they have enrolled for classes, students will be allowed to transfer in no more than three courses for General Education credit. No more than one transferred course may be applied to any one Cluster. Decisions to allow students transfer credit for a particular course will be based on a comparison of course objectives and content at JMU with those at the other institution. Special exceptions to this policy will be reviewed on an individual basis. Such exceptions may include those students who wish to participate in study abroad programs or other special circumstances. Students enrolled at JMU will not be awarded transfer credit for course offerings in Cluster Four, The American Experience (HIST 225, POSC 225, or JUST 225) due to the content and unique features of these courses.
The student is responsible for having an official transcript mailed to the Registrar's Office when the work has been completed. Credit hours will be awarded for approved courses carrying a "C" or better grade (2.0 quality points). Grades for courses taken at another institution are not included in grade point average calculations, although they will be used in determining graduation honors for eligible students who initially entered JMU prior to the Fall of 2015. Students may not utilize a repeat/forgiveness attempt by taking a course at another institution as grades from other institutions do not transfer to JMU, only the applicable credit hours pending successful completion of the course with a grade of “C” or better.
Grade Reporting
Grade Reports
Final and Mid-semester Grade Reports are available to students on MyMadison.
Mid-semester grades, if reported, in all courses may be available to new first-year students.
Grade Changes
If a student believes that a grade was assigned in error, the student should consult the faculty (or faculty members, in the case of a jointly taught course) before the Friday of the second full week of classes in the regular semester following the semester of the contested grade to resolve the discrepancy. Requests for review of spring semester or summer session grades must be initiated no later than the Monday of the third full week of classes in the subsequent fall semester. If a student believes that a final course grade was unfairly awarded, that student may initiate the grade review process detailed in the Graduate and Undergraduate Catalogs.
Incomplete Grades
An "I" grade is used to indicate incomplete work in a given course. Courses in which a student has received an "I" grade must be completed by the end of the next regular semester or the grade will be permanently recorded as an "F". Students cannot remove an "I" grade by re-enrolling for a course in which an "I" still stands.
Graduation
Students must apply to graduate via MyMadison. Completed applications will need departmental and registrar’s office approval before a degree will be conferred.
Diplomas
Diplomas are mailed to the student's official address approximately eight weeks following degree conferral.
If you would like to have your diploma mailed to an alternate address, you can update your information in MyMadison.
Transcripts
The transcript is the official student record including grades earned to date, as well as date of graduation, degree received and date of withdrawal or dismissal if applicable.
Unofficial Transcripts Unofficial transcripts are available to currently enrolled students via MyMadison.
Official Transcripts - Transcripts are only released at the request of the student. Currently enrolled students and alumni from fall 2005 onward may request official transcripts through active MyMadison accounts. Alumni and former students may order transcripts through the National Student Clearinghouse .
Transcripts will be mailed within five business days after we receive your request. Please allow time for delivery via the United States Postal Service. Transcripts cannot be faxed. They can be picked up, mailed or delivered electronically (if you graduated after fall 1995).
If you have any questions, please call the Office of the Registrar at (540) 568-6281. There is a $5 fee per transcript.
Academic Requirements Reports - The Academic Requirements Report matches the credits recorded on your transcript against a template of graduation requirements and tracks your progress toward completing requirements for your degree, major and minor programs as of the date printed on the top left corner of the report. The report is meant to supplement, not replace, regular meetings with your advisor and careful reading of the Undergraduate Catalog, General Education Requirements, and departmental handbooks and other department publications. This report is available to currently enrolled students via MyMadison.
Veterans
James Madison University encourages veterans to apply for admission as full-time or part-time students. Eligibility for educational benefits is determined by the Veterans Administration.
Once a student has been accepted by JMU and has been notified of eligibility by the VA, he or she should contact the Veterans Certifying Official in the Office of the Registrar, Student Success center, Suite 5300 or call (540) 568-6569.
Withdrawal, Non-Returning and Reentry Procedures
Withdrawal from the University - The withdrawal process at James Madison University begins when the student makes an initial request via the appropriate form with the Office of the Registrar or contacts the Office of the Dean of Students to declare an intent to withdraw. Enrolled students who intend to withdraw from all course work during the first three weeks of the semester must complete the "Non-Returning/Leave of Absence Notice" with the Office of the Registrar. Beginning the fourth week of the semester, students must contact the Dean of Students at (540) 568-6468. Please note that financial aid eligibility can change as a result of withdrawing from all of your classes. Students may be subject to Federal Return of Title IV Funds regulations, which could require an immediate repayment of all or part of the financial aid funds you received during the term from which you are withdrawing. Withdrawal from the university cannot be accomplished through the web registration system.
Unofficial Withdrawals Reported to the National Student Clearinghouse - If it is determined that a student stopped attending all courses during the semester, but did not complete the appropriate paperwork to officially withdraw from the university, the student will be reported as “unofficially” withdrawn to the National Student Clearinghouse for financial aid purposes. Please note that this is not an official academic withdrawal and the grades assigned to the student record will not be changed with this determination.
Non-Returning Students - Enrolled students who intend to complete the current semester but who do not intend to return to JMU the subsequent semester (summer sessions excepted) should notify the Office of the Registrar by completing the Non-Returning/Leave of Absence Notice. This notification is necessary even if the student has not registered or paid fees. Questions concerning non-returning status should be directed to the Office of the Registrar.
Reentry to the University - Degree-seeking undergraduate students who have been absent from JMU for two or more years must re-apply for admission through the Academic Student Services Office. Undergraduates who have not attended JMU for at least one semester but less than two years must complete an Intent to Enroll form by the deadline for the term as indicated on the form. Students who left in good standing should submit the form to the Office of the Registrar. Students who left on probation or academic suspension must submit the form to the Director of Academic Student Services. All registration holds must be cleared before the student will be eligible to register. The deadline for submitting Intent to Enroll forms is strictly enforced.
Deadlines for Submission of Intent to Enroll Forms:
Fall Semester July 1
Spring Semester November 1
Summer Session April 1
OTHER RESOURCES
Career and Academic Planning - www.jmu.edu/cap/ - CAP assists students with academic and career planning. This assistance includes helping students to: choose or change a major, select appropriate courses to attain their academic goals, return to good standing if they are in academic difficulty, develop career goals, explore career interests through internships and summer employment, and implement a job search or research graduate study.
Campus Map - www.jmu.edu/map
Card Services - www.jmu.edu/cardctr/ - This link provides information about your JACard including how to care for your card and how to report a stolen or lost card. You can also make deposits to your dining account(s).
Libraries - www.lib.jmu.edu/
Catalog - www.jmu.edu/catalog/ - This link takes you to current and past copies of the undergraduate and graduate catalogs.
Commencement - www.jmu.edu/commencement/ - This link provides the schedule of the upcoming commencement ceremony as well as information about hotel accommodations, announcements, caps and gowns, and qualifications to participate in the ceremony.
Computing Resources - www.jmu.edu/computing - This links you to computing resources and information at JMU.
Dining Services - http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSMA/JMU - This link provides information about meal plans, dining locations and times of operation.
Disability Services - www.jmu.edu/ods/ - The Office of Disability Services works to ensure that all students with documented disabilities have both an equal opportunity and equal access to JMU's programs and services. Our goal is to coordinate and provide reasonable accommodations, support services and programs that enable students with disabilities to maximize their educational potential and grow in the developmental process of transition to higher education, independence and effective self-advocacy.
Electronic ID Information - https://www.jmu.edu/computing/accounts-and-access/eid.shtml - This link provides information about your eID and password.
Financial Aid and Scholarships - www.jmu.edu/financialaid/ - The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships endeavors to assist students in financing their higher education. Financial assistance is provided in the form of scholarships, grants, loans, and student employment administered by the university. Students must be degree seeking and making satisfactory academic progress to be considered for financial assistance. A detailed description of the financial aid programs and general related requirements are in the undergraduate catalog and on the financial aid home page: www.jmu.edu/financialaid/. Students should review the information thoroughly so that they can understand the application procedures and be aware of all deadlines.
General Education - www.jmu.edu/gened/ - The General Education link provides information about requirements and competency tests.
The Graduate School - www.jmu.edu/grad/ - This link provides you with information on admission and application procedures for the graduate programs at JMU.
International Programs - www.jmu.edu/international/ - This will link you to the Office of Global Engagement where one can find information on study abroad programs and other scholarly activities.
Orientation Office - www.jmu.edu/orientation/ - The orientation link provides information and dates about first year and transfer orientation.
Professional and Continuing Education - www.jmu.edu/outreach/ - This link provides you with information on admission and application procedures for the professional and continuing eduation programs at JMU.
Parking Services - https://www.jmu.edu/parking/ - This link provides access to a parking map, forms and regulations.
Residence Life - www.jmu.edu/orl/ - The Office of Residence Life is about living and learning. Staff and financial resources are invested to create a safety conscious, fun, and educational environment. ORL's First Year Involvement program provides first-year students with social, emotional, and academic support as they adjust to life at JMU. Over 1,500 programs and activities take place in JMU residence halls each year.
University Business Office - www.jmu.edu/ubo/ - The University Business Office manages all students' accounts, including payments, refunds, advances, and information on Perkins loans. We work closely with Financial Aid to provide viable financing options for students and parents. For additional information, please visit our web site.